GOP Men Taught How to Talk to Women

Leah Barkoukis

12/5/2013 5:57:00 PM - Leah Barkoukis

The National Republican Congressional Committee isn’t taking any chances when it comes to the 2014 election. Together with top aides, it's giving GOP members a very important lesson on how to talk to women on the campaign trail.

The GOP doesn’t want another Todd Akin-like moment, when the Missouri Senate-hopeful dropped with a thud in polls after speaking on the campaign trail about “legitimate rape.” Sen. Saxby Chambliss later attributed some sexual assaults in the military on male hormones, sparking accusations that he was dismissing and making excuses for what’s emerged as a top-talked about criminal issue.

The GOP has also been dogged by Democratic branding as waging a war on women, a mantra that reared frequently during the recent Virginia gubernatorial race between Republican Ken Cuccinelli and Democrat Terry McAuliffe.

Speaker John Boehner is also committed to the effort. His top staffers met recently with party aides to discuss how lawmakers should talk to female constituents, Politico reports.

“Let me put it this way, some of these guys have a lot to learn,” said a Republican staffer who attended the session in Boehner’s office.

There have been “multiple sessions” with the NRCC where aides to incumbents were schooled in “messaging against women opponents,” one GOP aide said.

According to Politico, “there will be at least 10 races where House GOP male incumbents face Democratic women challengers,” in the 2014 cycle, with the chance that more races could crop up in the coming months.